Romancing The Fortune Cookie
by evgrrl09
Summary: On Garcia's birthday, Morgan is miffed that she's ditching their annual date to go out with her boyfriend. However, Fortune Cookie Day falls on that very day and he develops a plan, assisted by one David Rossi, to win her heart for good. Morgan/Garcia. My entry for the CCOAC September Strangeness Challenge! Will be multiple chapters. Rated T, but could change.
1. Happy Fortune Cookie Day!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**This is my entry for CCOAC's September Strangeness Challenge! Don't know how many chapters, but it won't be super long.**

**Chosen 2 Characters: Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia (duh, it's me!)**

**Strange Holiday: Fortune Cookie Day**

Derek was frustrated as hell. Today was his Baby Girl's birthday. Usually when she turned another year older he took her out to dinner, pampered her for a night out on the town, but this time she had other plans. Plans with another man. Her boyfriend of three months, Michael was taking her out to dinner at a traditional Chinese restaurant. And not a usual American one with crappy, over cooked food. This was a real, completely organic, and authentic Chinese restaurant. Derek was pissed as fuck.

"Morgan! I need you to sign this card for Garcia," Rossi boomed, entering his office. He produced a very finely made card that he most certainly had not bought at a Hallmark store. Of course, the one that Morgan bought her had not come from Hallmark either. It was one he had found at her favorite boutique that sold handmade cards that were as bright and colorful as Penelope was herself.

"I already got her one," he mumbled, not looking up from his desk.

"I figured you would have," Rossi returned, not missing a beat. He put the card on his desk anyway. "But this one is from the whole team. And seeing as you are part of the team, you need to sign it as well."

Morgan looked up at Rossi finally and grunted, leaning forward to take a pen and sign the card. Once he had scrawled his signature next to JJ's, he thrust the card forward and looked up at Rossi once more. "There you go," he said, hoping his tone would finalize the conversation. "I'm kind of busy here. Can you go?"

"Busy my ass." Rossi smirked and sat down in the chair in front of Derek's desk. He sat back as if preparing for a long conversation. "You care to tell me what's bothering you? You look like someone pissed in your coffee."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Rossi, man," he said, "there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, so there's not point in me telling you."

"You know, being a friend doesn't mean I can fix everything, but I sure as hell can lend an ear." He grinned. "Come on Morgan," he coaxed. "Tell Uncle Dave all about it."

Scrutinizing his friend, he sighed. "Fine," he said. "It's today."

"Yeah, Penelope's birthday," he said. "What's so wrong with that?"

"Well, every year I take Penelope out on her birthday," he said. "Even when she was seeing Lynch, _I_ took her out at night for more fun than he could ever give her. But this year..."

Rossi nodded in realization then. "This year Michael asked to take her out and pamper her," he deduced. His eyes widened and he laughed. "Oh, I see what's going on here!" He shook his head in amusement. "How none of us figured this out earlier is a mystery to me. We profile human behavior for a living and we can't even figure out that one of our buddies is smitten with his best friend. You've been struck by jealousy! Finally you realized you're in love with her! I thought it would take her getting married for you to admit your burning desire to be with her."

Derek scowled. "We're not discussing this now."

"Tough. We're going to." Rossi's face was set with pure determination and it was clear that Morgan was about to lose the battle. "Morgan, about how long have you known Penelope?"

Taking a moment to think about it, he finally responded with, "Eight years, nine months, and four days." He could have smacked himself in the forehead; he actually could figure out how long he knew her, right down to the day. He would never live this down.

"And about how long have you been in love with her, wanted to have massive amounts of sex, and a horde children, one of whom will be named David?"

Derek sighed before finally admitting, "Eight years, nine months, three days, and twenty-three and a half hours."

Rossi nodded with a grin. "Precisely what I thought," he said smugly. "Now, before that silly Mitch -"

"His name is Michael," Derek interjected.

"Fine..._Michael_," he adjusted. "Anyway, before he takes her from you for good, you have to make a plan. I've seen the man when he drops by. He's pretty smitten with her as well."

Derek scowled. "He's a douchebag. He bought her a Pina Colada a few nights ago. Doesn't he fucking know what she likes to drink?"

"What _does_ she like to drink?" Rossi quizzed.

His answer was instantaneous. "Jack and Coke with several cherries thrown in."

Rossi chuckled. "Okay, then," he said. "You obviously know her better than he does. In the drinks department anyway."

Derek scowled. "In _every_ department, Rossi," he snapped, looking like he wanted to throttle the older man.

"But how do you plan on telling her."

"Do you think she even wants me?"

"How the hell did you become a profiler again?" Rossi quipped. "You really can't see that the woman loves you back?"

Derek planned on responding, but before he could, a knock sounded from the door and Spencer Reid entered, a paper bag in his hands. "Hello all!" he said with a grin. He strode forward and produced two fortune cookies and distributed them to both Rossi and Morgan. "Happy Fortune Cookie Day!"

Rossi lifted a brow and held up the cookie. "What? There's a Fortune Cookie Day?"

Reid nodded. "Yep. And all of these are wise ones. I made sure to pick the best bunch of them."

Morgan observed the fortune cookie in his arms, the wrapper crinkling in his fingers. _Oh, what the hell_, he thought. _Why not take a chance on this. Maybe it will offer me some wisdom._ He started tearing open the packaging and broke the cookie in half. Who knew what it would say? Might be good advice, might be bad. He honestly did not give a shit.

Pulling piece of paper out of the cookie, he read the small slip that was in his large hands.

_It's all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation._

His eyes went wide and he looked up at Rossi. "What's it say?" Rossi asked. "You look strangely shocked." Derek wordlessly handed over the slip of paper and watched as he read it. Rossi looked up with a smile on his face. "Well?" He paused and looked to see if Derek would say anything. When he didn't, he decided to go on. "Are you going to let the stomach butterflies fly into formation?"

"Maybe it's time," he said. Like he even needed to think about it. He _was_ ready for this. And he needed to do this before Michael got too close. Before he chickened out and lost her.

He nodded. "Yep," he said decisively. "I'm ready." He observed Rossi and an idea sparked in his head. "But I need your help with something."

Rossi nodded. "What do you need?"

"Do you know anyone who makes fortune cookies?"

XXXXX

"Happy Birthday, Penelope!" JJ cried, throwing her arms around Penelope's neck.

Penelope smiled and hugged her bestie back. "Thanks, Jayje," she murmured. "I can't believe I'm turning freakin' thirty six! I'm getting so old."

JJ scoffed. "Old? Please. Morgan's old...he's like what? Forty three now?"

Smiling, Penelope laughed. "Yeah, my Hot Stuff is getting old," she giggled. "But he's still absolutely gorgeous. Any girl would be lucky to have him."

Somehow this also caused JJ to smile. "Yep," she said. "But I don't think it's just _any_ girl that he wants. There's only one."

"Hmm?" Penelope asked, sitting down in her chair, feeling absolutely jealous. She shouldn't though. She had an absolutely wonderful man she was dating. Michael was great: sweet, attentive, average sense of humor. The only problem was, she was really concerned he was thinking of proposing to her that night. And like with Kevin, she did not know if she was ready for marriage. That and she was still fantasizing about her best friend. At least two or three nights a week she was having dreams about him. _Erotic_ dreams. Dreams that left her feeling tingly in the morning and a almost painfully sensitive nipples. She just wanted him to touch her. Touch her everywhere. She could just imagine him sliding his hands up her skirt, his fingers tracing lines up her thighs and towards her core, his lips coming over hers in a perfect kiss that made her toes tingle. Just thinking about it made her panties soaking wet.

It was a terrible thing to be smitten with your best friend.

Wait. No. She wasn't just smitten. She was undeniably, irrevocably in love with him.

Only problem was, he wasn't in love with her. She was just his best buddy. Sure, he had called her his God Given Solace. She knew she was. But as a lover? No, he most certainly didn't feel that way about her.

Not in a million years would he feel that way about her.

In order to avoid JJ's incessant pestering, she looked at her computer screen and said, "Oh, damn! I have a huge file that Hotch just sent me to look at! I'm probably going to be in here for a little while."

JJ sighed, but then patted Penelope's shoulder. "Okay, Garcie," she said as Penelope pulled up a fake file to look at. "I'll catch you later. Remember...I'm taking you to lunch. _Cafe Havana_."

"Mmm," she said, licking her red glossed lips. "Cuban sounds uberly delicious right now. Damn it, JJ, make me hungry right now," she teased.

JJ grinned and headed out the door, leaving Penelope to her own thoughts. She considered Derek and Michael and decided to make a list of pros and cons.

On her list of pros for Michael were his personality, his obvious attraction, and his gorgeous appearance. His face looked like it had been carved by Greek sculptors onto a block of marble. Cons for him though, were that he wasn't entirely comfortable with her job or her sense of humor with all its dirty jokes and suggestive nature. Most importantly though, the biggest problem on the list for him, was that she wasn't in love with him. Her heart wasn't truly in the relationship.

When she thought of Derek, her list of pros was equal to the list of cons. On one hand, he knew her better than anyone else, inside and out. He understood her job, he joked and teased back and forth with her, and he was extremely kind and compassionate towards people who needed his help. The final one on the list was that she loved him. Her heart, to be cliche, belonged to him. Cons of him were his intense protectiveness that bordered on obsessive, he was cocky and hot tempered, and women fawned over him like he was a piece of a warm chocolate brownie. And the most heartbreaking part of it was that he wasn't in love with her. He teased and flirted, but didn't consider her anything but his closest friend. Someone he leaned on and confided in. There was no sexual appeal to her for him.

He liked twigs, plain and simple.

She sighed. Her birthday was certainly turning out to be an interesting one.


	2. Wah Delivers The First Cookie

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds.**

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! I appreciate your feedback. I also wanted to give a big thank you to CeeCee333. I should have thanked you in the last chapter, but I forgot to throw it in. She helped me go through the story and let me know her thoughts. Your help is much appreciated girly :)**

"Alright, Morgan," Rossi said, putting a bag of fortune cookies down on his desk. "I pulled several strings to get these, but I got it done. Each one is personalized with what you wanted them to say."

"Exactly right?" Derek asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rossi glared at him. "Yes," he said. "Every single one is just the way you want it."

Morgan nodded. "Excellent," he said. "You and Reid are ready for a night of helping your bestest buddy?" He grinned wickedly.

He rolled his eyes. "I suppose," he said. "I get a supposedly good meal. I get to see the two most compatible people get together after years of watching you two dance around each other. The night should be...interesting."

"To say the least," Reid said as he entered the room. "Now, I made sure to call the restaurant earlier and set everything up. They're giving us a corner table and putting Penelope and Michael somewhere where we can see them. At various points in the evening they will bring fortune cookies to both of them, making sure that Penelope gets the special ones. They'll have a different wrapping as they were made at different places, so they'll know which ones to give her." He grinned. You know, this was a lot easier than I thought it would be. They were very accommodating. A little interested in why they were doing this, but were willing to do everything possible to help."

Derek shrugged. "Who cares? As long as it works, I'm good with it," he said.

"I'm pretty certain this will help," Rossi said confidently. "If it doesn't, I will lose all faith in the human race. You two are so stubborn, it makes me want to bonk your heads together until you realize you belong together."

"Well then, they should have nothing to worry about," Reid said. He glanced down at his watch and added, "If we want to make it at the same time as Penelope and Michael, we'll need to leave now. And seeing as this restaurant is nice, we'll have to put on some nicer clothing than these outfits."

Rossi and Morgan nodded. "Operation 'Dazzle Garcia Off Her Feet And Into Morgan's Arms' is starting now," Rossi said, motioning for them all to leave.

XXXXX

Penelope was just finishing curling her hair when the doorbell to her apartment rang. Quickly, she turned the iron off and slid her feet into her black stilettos. She clicked towards the door and opened it to reveal Michael. With his blonde hair and glittering blue eyes, he was the epitome of handsome. Well, a different kind of handsome than Derek. His abs were nowhere _near_ as sculpted as his. When they were in bed together, she sometimes had to imagine him as Derek in order to climax. She knew damn well what that meant. She just chose not to face it.

He smiled and held out a bouquet of red roses. It was terribly cliche - and if anything she wasn't cliche - but it was sweet. She leaned forward for a peck on the lips. "Hi there birthday girl," he said with a grin. He stroked her cheek momentarily. "You look beautiful tonight in that lavender dress."

She blushed. She certainly felt beautiful. His words only added to it. "Are you ready to go, Handsome?" she asked brightly.

Nodding, Michael extended his arm for her to take. "Whenever you are, beautiful," he said.

XXXXX

"Alright," Reid said, straightening his tie. "According to my watch, if Penelope and Michael are to arrive at eight o'clock on the dot, they should be here within the next two minutes."

Derek was wringing his hands together nervously. "Yeah," he snapped. "Good to know the exact -" But then his speech stopped abruptly. Rossi and Reid looked in the direction of the door and saw Penelope coming in, Michael holding the door for her. She looked positively, drop dead beautiful. Morgan couldn't take his eyes off her. His mouth began to water as his eyes swept up and down her luscious curves that her light purple dress displayed perfectly.

"Morgan!" Rossi hissed, slapping his arm. "Menu! Up! Cover your face!"

Immediately Derek pulled the menu up to cover his face, peeking his eyes up over the top of the leather bound menu. He watched as Michael and Penelope were led towards their table in the middle of the restaurant. Rossi, Reid, and Morgan were well hidden from them, but could easily see the couple from their seats. Morgan bristled as Michael pulled out Penelope's chair for her and kissed the top of her head. That was _his_ special gesture. _He_ was the one who kissed the top of her head. Even when she had been with Lynch, everyone knew that Derek was the one who kissed her forehead, her cheek, the top of her head.

Apparently, Michael had a death wish.

"Okay, Wah is in position to go to the table," Reid said. "He's got the water and he's got the fortune cookies. He's all set. Garcia and Michael should be receiving their messages any minute now. Well, Michael will get some crappy, random messages while Garcia gets the personal ones you made, Morgan."

Derek nodded and Rossi said with a devilish grin, "The plan is now in motion."

XXXXX

Penelope smiled up at the waiter who had just come to their table, a tray in his hand. This puzzled her. Did he really need a tray to carry a pitcher of water?

"Hello, my name is Wah. I'll be your server this evening," the waiter said brightly bringing his tray down with an ornate pitcher of water on it. In addition to it, there were two fortune cookies. Now she was truly confused. Fortune cookies came at the end of the meal with the check. What the hell was going on?

He began by pouring water into their glasses and when he was finished, he set one cookie in front of each of them. He smiled. "I imagine you're wondering why I've brought you two fortune cookies right now," he said.

"Kind of," Michael said curiously. "Why _have _you brought us them now?"

"Well," Wah began to explain, "today just so happens to be Fortune Cookie Day. So with each course and drink, you will receive another one."

Penelope smiled brightly. "This is sort of a special surprise!" she said happily. "I've never even heard of Fortune Cookie Day."

Wah smiled. "I'm happy you've made a new discovery then," he said. "Now, what can I start you off with to drink? Our bar is extensive and we have drinks from all over the world."

"We'll have a bottle of your best Shiraz," Michael said. Penelope looked like she would protest and he shook his head, holding up his hand in the process. "No, no! I want to pamper you the way you deserve to be on your birthday." He looked back up at their waiter and repeated, "A bottle of your best Shiraz...please."

Wah nodded and started off to get the wine. Penelope looked down at her fortune cookie and began to open it, tearing the plastic off. She turned the cookie in her hands and smiled. Fortune Cookie Day, huh? It was a nice surprise to her to have it fall on the same day as her birthday. Cracking the cookie open, she brought out the little piece of paper and read it.

_Your voice leads your love out of darkness. Never stop talking to them._

She frowned. This didn't seem like the usual fortune cookie message.

"Hmm," Michael mused. "Mine says, 'A good time to finish up old tasks.' That's kind of lame. Usually they are. I suppose I've never understood what all the fuss was about them. Personally, I've always found them to be pretty lame."

Penelope couldn't help but laugh nervously. She had always had fun reading them. You never knew what was concealed in the hard, sweet cookie. Derek and she had always had fun when they got Chinese takeout. They would laugh at each other's silly fortunes, wondering if they actually held their fate or if they were just lame crap.

"What does yours say?" he asked. "Anything good."

Deciding to hide what hers had said, she shook her head and went with bluffing. "Oh, it's just really lame. Just like yours."

He smiled teasingly. "Well, I guess we'll just have to buckle down for the other ones. We're going to get a lot more tonight it would appear. After all, we are doing a three course meal."

She smiled weakly. "Yeah," she said, still pondering the strangeness of her message. It sounded oddly familiar. It sounded like someone truly romantic was speaking to her.

But who?

XXXXX

Rossi, Reid, and Morgan observed as Wah, the waiter they had recruited to assist with their plan, brought Penelope and Michael a bottle of wine. Before the wine had come, they had watched the two open their first cookie of the evening. They watched as Michael laughed at how his was lame. But it was Penelope they were really concentrating on. And her reaction was exactly how they hoped it would be.

"Her facial expression is exactly what we hoped it would be!" Rossi said excitedly. "She likes the first one!" He clapped Derek on the back. "You got this in the bag, Morgan!"

"Let's hope," he said. "I don't think I'll be able to handle it if this doesn't work."

"It'll be okay," Reid said. "I'm positive. And usually I don't like to say that things are positive, but I know Garcia loves you. There's no doubt in my mind about it."

Derek was looking towards his Baby Girl and a fierce yearning began to make his heart thump louder in his chest. He watched as she bit her bottom lip and looked confused. She looked so beautiful when she was thinking hard. Her eyes drifted up and she looked around the restaurant in confusion, as if she was looking for the source of the message. He retreated further behind his menu and watched her.

"God, I really hope this works," he said dejected.


	3. Good Will Hunting In A Fortune Cookie

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Damn.**

**Here's chapter 3! The happy couple is getting there :)**

Penelope and Michael ordered their appetizers - vegetable dumplings and lettuce wraps - and were making small talk throughout the evening. With every word they spoke, it became clearer and clearer that he was planning on proposing. And the thought of it scared her half to death. When Kevin had proposed, she had done the exact same thing. It was happening all over again, the panic, the suffocating thoughts of getting married to a man she did not truly love. They were in the middle of the restaurant and it was reasonably packed. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Michael. He was a nice person, a kind person. She couldn't stand the thought of hurting him with a negative answer to his proposal.

"So, where do you see yourself in ten years?" he asked, taking her hand. "Married, kids, still working at the FBI?" He had a hopeful smile on his face.

She balked at the question. A lump formed in her throat and she did not know if she could get past it. But she swallowed past it and answered hoarsely, "Er, well...I don't really know. I do want kids. But..."

"Kids are wonderful, aren't they?" he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "I would love to have kids in the future. I can just imagine coaching Little League for a boy or going to dance recitals for a little girl. I've always liked the name Zoey for a a baby girl. What about you? Any names that have struck you as keepers for a little, mini Penelope?"

Her eyes went wide and she picked up her glass of wine and took a long swallow, hoping maybe the question would just disappear into thin air and she wouldn't have to answer it. "I -"

"Here are your appetizers," Wah said as he returned to the table. "And of course, your fortune cookies."

Penelope could have grabbed him and kissed him at that moment. She smiled up at him and nodded gratefully. "Oh, thank you," she said. "God, everything looks so delicious!" That part was true; the food smelled divine.

Wah nodded. "Your choices were good," he said with a smile. He picked up the plates and set them before her and Michael. Then he set their fortune cookies down. Penelope could almost swear she saw a twinkle in his eye as he did. That made her brows form together in curiosity. What the hell was that about?

"Please enjoy," Wah said. "You entrees will be out soon."

He walked away and Penelope and Michael opened their fortune cookies before starting in on their appetizers. Michael sighed as he read his, dropping it on the table cloth carelessly. "Once again, mine is lame. It says 'You will receive some high prize or award.'" He looked up and met her eyes, laughing softly. "Yeah. That's _real_ inspiring and wise."

She shook her head and smiled before looking down at hers. Her hear stopped while reading it.

_It doesn't matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other._

Her favorite quote from..._Good Will Hunting_? What in God's name was going on? Movie quotes didn't end up in fortune cookies.

"Your face looks interested," Michael laughed. "What does your's say?"

"It says..." Should she tell him? She decided against it almost immediately. He might very well notice the oddity of both the cookies. "Oh..." she stammered. "Oh, well, I'm just hungry." She pointed to the food. "Let's eat!" Her voice was almost too enthusiastic and she prayed he wouldn't notice.

Thankfully, he didn't.

"You're right. Let's eat."

They started digging into the appetizers and continued the small talk. But soon the small talk turned into more. "So, he asked. "You never answered me about working for the FBI still. What are your plans for that?"

"Well, I plan on doing it until the circumstances change to where I want to do something else," she explained with a smile. She took a bite of her food and nodded her head. "This is _so_ good!" she exclaimed.

He nodded. "How can you stand all that death though?" he asked. "It just seems like it would be awful to be around all the time."

"I like to focus on the positives of it," she said. "Like, the fact that we are helping people who can't fight for themselves, or are dead and need justice."

"Well, it's good you can focus on the positive of it," he said softly. "You are a pretty brave woman to deal with all of that."

She smiled. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. "It's nice of you to say." She used her chopsticks to put another bite of dumpling into her mouth, letting the rich flavor spread across her tongue.

Michael swallowed his food before asking, "Now, what about your buddy? Derek, is his name? You two are awfully close, if I remember correctly. I've only met him once."

A dreamy smile covered her face and she leaned her elbow on the table. "Oh, Derek? Well, we've been best friends for years. We met when he and part of my current team needed help working on a case. They took me on and I've been with them ever since. But back to Derek...he's just amazing. He's got a little bit of a temper when he's not being a brooding hunk, but he puts everything he's got into cases to help the people we fight for."

"So, he's like a superhero?"

She nodded and met his eyes again. "Precisely," she said with a grin. Derek's face filed her mind and she found herself shuddering with all she felt for him. He was so much more than the simple explanation she was giving of him. He was an extremely loving and compassionate man. He was quiet about it, collected unless he got pissed. Even though one didn't want to cross him and earn themselves a place in the way of his wrath, he would stop at nothing until the person he set out to save was just that: safe and sound.

Michael nodded and smiled again. "It sounds like you have an incredible friend in this guy," he said.

_He's so much more_, she added to herself in her head.

Just then, Wah appeared again, this time with the entrees. He set their plates down in front of them and then placed the third fortune cookies next to the plates. "Enjoy," he said, nodding his head and walking off.

Before taking a single bite of her food, Penelope ripped open the package and cracked the cookie in half. She was more than just a little curious as to what it would say. And with good reason she was curious. This most recent message was just like the other two; all about love. _True_ love, by the sound of it.

_Your love's dreams are within you._

Something was _definitely _going on here that wasn't normal.

XXXXX

"Dammit, man!" Derek hissed. "Look at her! She's smiling at him and he's holding her hand! And she looks happy about it!"

Rossi and Reid rolled their eyes at him at the same time. "Morgan, have you not noticed her behavior when she gets the cookies?" Reid asked. "Her cheeks gain color, her eyes get wide, she looks almost panicked. The signs all point to her wondering what the cookies are all about. If I were you, I would settle down."

"Easy for you to say," Derek snorted. "I don't think I'll be able to do anything other than freak out right now."

Rossi smirked. "For having a reputation as a notorious ladies' man and player, you sure do act like a nervous wreck around this woman."

Derek glared at him. "Yeah, well the situations are different here," he snapped, shooting him a look. "I love Penelope. She's not a one night stand I'm trying to seduce into my bed. She's the woman I love and care about more than any other woman I've ever met. Hell, she's the woman I want to have little mini us's with."

"Well, it's damn good thing you're fighting for her," Reid commented. "It shows you've finally gotten your head out of your ass. And the fact that this day falls on Fortune Cookie Day just makes this day even more perfect to confess your feelings. Can you think of a better way to do it?"

"Er, wine and chocolate and flowers?" Rossi suggested. He took a sip of the wine they had ordered. "Nah, I'm just kidding. This really is the best way to do it. It's unique, just like her."

"They're eating their entrees, which means we've got two more cookies coming out for her," Reid said. "We'll get her. Don't you worry, Morgan."

Morgan just clenched and unclenched his fists. He was a nervous wreck and both Rossi and Reid could easily tell. They had never seen him this way, and though they felt sorry that he was so anxious, it was also highly amusing to them. Calm, cool, collected Derek Morgan, usually so smooth with women, was losing his nerve rapidly over someone who knew him better than anyone. His best friend, and he was afraid of looking like an idiot.

It was definitely worth a laugh.

"What are you two smirking about?" Derek growled. "Is there something you find particularly hilarious?"

Reid and Rossi exchanged glances and started snickering. "You are," Rossi said.

"You go from a calm and collected man to bumbling idiot in two seconds flat," Reid interjected. "It's very funny."

Morgan glared at them both and returned to watching Penelope over the top of his menu. He just needed to ignore his snickering buddies, and focus on the real reason he was there: her.

_Penelope_.

XXXXX

"And here are your deserts," Wah said, setting the plates down in front of them. The table had been cleared moments ago and Penelope was tapping her fingers anxiously on the table. She had to force herself not to grab the fortune cookie and smash it in order to see the paper inside. She had to see what it said.

_Love is friendship set on fire._

Her head snapped up and she frowned. This sounded exactly like -

"Penelope?"

Her eyes shot to Michael and she shook her head, blinking several times. He was looking at her expectantly. "I'm sorry," she said breathlessly. "What did you say?"

He grinned sheepishly. "May I ask you a question?"

_Oh, dear God_, she thought anxiously. _Here we go_... All she did was nod. Her throat and mouth dried up and she watched as he rose to his feet and dropped to one knee in front of her. She couldn't stop her eyes from going wide. At the moment, she was scared shitless.

He took her limp hand in his. "Penelope, I know we haven't known each other for very long," he began. "But...but I feel as though we have a lifelong connection. And that makes me think that we could date for three months or three years, and either way, I would want to ask you this."

"Oh, Michael -" She glanced around frantically. The majority of the restaurant quieted down as they watched Michael go through a beautiful proposal. This could not possibly end well.

He shook his head. "No, no," he said. "Don't speak. Just let me finish." He smiled softly. "Anyway, because of this connection, I want to ask you if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Her mouth fell open and after a moment she closed it. She knew the question had been coming, she just didn't realize her fear would hit her in the raging form of a hurricane. This was much worse than she expected it would be. As Michael patiently waited for an answer, Wah slipped the check and the final two cookies on the table. Instantaneously, her eyes flicked to the cookie he had set in front of her. Her eyes met his and it was almost like he was trying to tell her something.

What, she had no idea, though.

But now was not a time for thinking. She had a restaurant full of people staring at her and the man kneeling in front of her asking for her to marry him. "Ah..." she began nervously. Her eyes flicked to her final fortune cookie and a slow smile spread across her face. For added effect, she batted her eyelashes. "Why don't we see what _fate_ has to say?" she asked, reaching across the table for the cookie.

**Hope you liked it :)**


	4. The Final Cookie Revealed

**Disclaimer: I own nada.**

**Here's chapter 4! Sorry about the cliffhanger at the last chapter. I hope this one makes it up to you. Thank you much for the reviews and a huge thank you to my kind editors, CeeCee333 and handsome-uks, who took a look at it before I published it :) You ladies are da bomb!**

Derek's heart stopped when Michael got down on one knee and his mouth dropped. What the hell was the man doing, proposing after only three months of dating. He hardly knew Penelope. What gave him the right to ask her to marry him? It was ridiculous, the thought of it. He began to sweat profusely. There was no way she would say no. He was sure of it. Michael was a great guy, exactly what she needed. He was a much better fit for her than Kevin, but Derek couldn't believe that Michael was better for her than him. He understood Penelope better than anyone in the world. What did this Michael fellow know about her that would make him think he could marry her?

He glanced at Rossi and Reid and the two of them glanced his way before nodding in the direction of Penelope. "Give it just a few moments. Penelope still hasn't given him an answer. She might still say no." He shook his head firmly. "No, no! She _will_ say no!"

Yet he couldn't stop the sinking feeling in his heart. There was still a chance she might say yes. And even the slightest chance of that was enough to scare the crap out of him. So he sank down behind his menu and watched.

XXXXX

Michael looked at Penelope in pure confusion, but she winked. "Oh, come on," she prodded. "It'll be fun."

"I can't help but feel like you're stalling," he laughed nervously. "But I suppose it couldn't hurt."

With shaking hands, she began to greedily unwrap the cookie, breaking it open hurriedly. She had to see what the cookie had to offer. Every hunch was having led back to one person. What if this last cookie confirmed her suspicion? She may very well have a happy answer in store. She would just have to see. Setting the broken pieces on the table, she unfolded the paper to see what it said.

A small gasp escaped her throat and tears went wide. She had to swallow past the large lump in her throat.

_You are solace._

It was obvious that it was Derek who had sent her these cookies. But how? How were these cookies making it out to her? It was clear to her now that Wah had been in on it, but where the hell was Derek? He had to be lurking around here somewhere. Rising to her feet, she drew her gaze up from Michael and began looking around. The bastard was there somewhere. She was madder than all get out. How dare he do this to her on her birthday? How dare he not tell her any of these things _before_ she went out a birthday date with her boyfriend? She felt color rising in her cheeks and she was ignoring the probing stares of the other restaurant goers and the panicked, humiliated look on Michael's face. But none of it mattered.

She was _pissed._

And then she saw him. Well, she saw Reid and Rossi and him, all three of them hiding behind menus. They were trying to make themselves smaller and smaller, but she stomped over to their table and glared viciously at all three of them. Reid and Rossi both had looks of small children who had just been caught sneaking cookies from the pantry, but Derek had the look of a five year old who had just watched _Nightmare on Elm Street _and _Alien _back to back. It was fairly clear to him that he was in the doghouse. He stood up and held his hands up. "Baby, please," he pleaded. "Just listen to me and -"

"_Listen to you_?" she hissed. "You...how...why would you do this? On this day of all days?"

"Garcia, I think -" Reid started to say.

With fire lighting her eyes, she whirled to face Rossi and Reid. "And you two! How could you help him with this?" She shook her head. "Rossi, I kind of get, but _Reid_? How on earth did that work out?"

Sheepishly, Reid said, "Listen Garcia, we only helped him because -"

"What's going on here?" Michael asked, coming over to the table. He put his hand on the small of Penelope's back and looked at her. "Penelope, what's wrong?"

She didn't even glance at him. She just glared at Derek. "Why would you even think about doing this? Did you think it would be funny? Well, I'll tell you right now, making up a stupid holiday, paying off a waiter to deliver the cookies. It's a really cruel joke, you know. Is this just you acting out because I didn't let you take me out for my birthday? 'Cause it's not funny! Not funny at all!"

"Baby, this isn't a joke," Derek begged. "I swear to you this wasn't a joke!"

Michael looked at him and stuck his finger into Derek's broad chest. "What did you do, you son of a bitch?" he growled. "I swear if you hurt her, I'll -"

"It's not supposed to be a joke," he said, ignoring the fact that another man had just entered his personal space. The only person who mattered at that moment was Penelope. "Guys!" He looked at Rossi and Reid. "Tell her. Please."

"Garcia, what he's saying is true," Rossi said. "It's not a joke. What those fortune cookies say, he picked the sayings for a reason. They're all what they're meant to be. Each and everyone of them."

Michael glared at Derek. "So the cookies were just you?" he demanded. "You were sending _my_ girlfriend messages with them? What gives, man?"

Derek continued to ignore him and look at Penelope, his heart in his eyes. "Penelope, Baby Girl...everything on those small slips of paper, was completely and one hundred and ten percent true. Please believe me." He took a deep breath, praying she would hear hear him out. "I love you."

She stared at him with difficult to read emotion. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. But then she did the one thing he didn't think he would recover from: she turned to Michael and murmured, "Please, drive me home." She looked at Derek with tears swimming on the surface of her eyes. Now she just looked heartbroken. He wanted to go to her, but as he stepped forward, she slapped him swiftly across the face. "We're done here!"

"Penelope! Please, just listen to me!"

Michael shoved him in the chest and glared at him. "You've done enough," he growled. "Stay away from her. For good."

Derek rubbed his face. He was not interested in Michael. All he wanted to do was tell everything to Penelope about how he felt. "Penelope -"

"No!" Michael said harshly. "I said back off!" Then he guided her out the door, his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, honey. I'll get you home."

All Derek could do was watch as the love of his life, her face so hurt and betrayed, walked out of the building on the arm of another man. He bent his head, unable to watch as she walked out of the restaurant. The whole restaurant had started speaking again and ignored the scene before them. He looked over at his two companions, both of whom looked sympathetic to him.

"God, I can't believe this didn't work," Reid said, dejected. "I - I really thought this would work out. Why is this happening? She's supposed to be in love with you, not that man!"

"What Reid said," Rossi said, a perplexed expression on his face. "How could that have happened? She doesn't love him. The expression on her face when he proposed..."

Derek shook his head. "No, guys," he said. "I'm just - I'm just going to go. Tell your buddy who gave out the fortune cookies thank you." Then he turned away, stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out the door, going in the opposite direction down the sidewalk than Penelope had gone.

XXXXX

The car ride back to her apartment was a silent one for Penelope and Michael. Every single second of her time on the way was spent staring out the window for her. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she sniffled occasionally. She was thankful that Michael wasn't trying to say anything to her. In the palm of her hand she held the small fortune cookie papers, each with words that Derek had apparently poured his whole heart and soul into. She couldn't figure out why it was now that he chose to say something to her, but based on what she had seen and what she had read, he really did love her. Hear heart was aching and she didn't know what to do. She was still with Michael, the man who had proposed to her after only three months of dating, and she had left him with no answer about what she was going to say.

But she already knew the answer to the question.

She couldn't marry him. She didn't love him. Hell, she wasn't half convinced he loved her. There had to be someone out there better for him. She belonged with Derek. If she wasn't so pissed at him for doing it the way he had, she would probably start running towards his house and throw herself into his arms.

Outside the car, the sounds of thunder could be heard. She wiped her cheeks. Great. The weather was now matching her mood. Could her birthday get any worse?

The car pulled up in front of her apartment building and Michael turned off the engine. Neither of them moved. Penelope kept her eyes trained outside and closed them tightly, hoping maybe that her tears would dry up magically and she would be fine again. But they kept rolling down her cheeks and she brought her hand up to wipe them away hurriedly.

Next to her, Michael sighed. "I take it your answer is no?" he said, a bitter laugh in his voice.

She finally got the courage to look at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and she murmured, "I'm so sorry, Michael. I've been in love with Derek for so many years...I just never thought he would feel the same way about me. And the way he did it tonight...yeah, it made me pissed, but it's always been him."

He nodded. "I guess I should've known. You talk about him all the time. Your face lights up whenever you do. And whatever those fortune cookies said, it much have really struck you. You knew exactly who they were from. You may not have wanted to admit it to yourself, but you knew." He laughed. "It looks like you've got someone to talk to."

She took Michael's hand. "Thank you," she whispered. "You're a really great guy. Some girl is going to be extremely happy with you one day. I just so happen to be in love with someone who is..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "He's different than you. Not better necessarily, but different."

He smiled. Outside the car, it started to rain and a boom of thunder could be heard. "You better be getting inside," he prodded. "And if Derek doesn't treat you well, let me know. I'll kick his ass."

Tears filled Penelope's eyes and she nodded. "I don't think I'll need you to, but I'll always remember that offer." Leaning over, she kissed his cheek before opening the door and stepping out into the pouring rain. She rushed towards her building, her body already damp from rain. Even as the door closed though, she looked outside at the raging storm. A bolt of lightning shot across the sky and lit up the whole street as a lamp would. Her mind was racing. All her feelings for Derek started to rush through her and she began to feel terrible for what she had said to him at the restaurant. His heart was clearly in his eyes and she had thrown it back in his face like he was lying to her and humiliating her.

How could she have done something so cruel?

She had to fix things. She had to tell him that everything she had said was wrong, that she was more sorry than she had ever been in her life. She had to tell him she loved him.

Digging through the clutch she had taken to dinner, she retrieved her keys and reentered the storm, heading towards the parking garage to hop into Esther.


	5. Riding With The Top Down

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Sorry the last two were cliffys. I appreciate your patience with me on this. Thank you so much for the reviews. This one is significantly more fluffy than my usual type I stick to, so i'm glad you're liking it. As for this one, I know a lot of you want Derek to be waiting by her car, but that would be too easy ;) We've got a little something different coming. But the angst is all over, so that's a good thing. Please enjoy!**

By the time Penelope reached her car in the parking garage, she was already soaked to the bone. Her hair was flat against her head and dripping, her makeup was running, and her clothing was sticking uncomfortably to her skin. But none of that mattered. Not at that moment except reaching Derek's house and telling him how sorry she was for slapping him and walking out on him in the middle of the restaurant. She needed to tell him it was over with Michael and that she was in love with him, with her best friend. She needed to tell him that it had always been him, from the first day they had met.

The top of her car was down and she fiddled with her keys, setting them in the seat so she could have both hands. However, the top was stuck in place. She yanked as hard as she could and tried desperately to pull it up, but nothing worked. The damn thing wasn't coming up. Cursing, she checked her phone to try and call someone to see if they could drive her. Her groaned filled the parking garage and echoed off the walls. The phone was dead.

None of that matter though. She was going to get to Derek's no matter what. Huffing, she slid into her car and started the engine. She was going to be wet and cold for the next half hour.

In the end, she knew it would be worth it.

Pulling out of the parking lot, she braced herself for the downpour she was headed into and started off at as fast as she legally could. Just as she expected, she was frozen. It was September at night and it was pouring down rain. She could only pray Derek would let her in when she arrived. If he left her out in the cold, she was likely to burst into tears.

Half way there, however, the faint sound of a car sputter came from Esther. She drove along the road, hoping the sound was just in her imagination.

She wasn't so lucky.

In a matter of seconds after she heard the noise, her car started to slow down until she was trapped on the side of the road, the car completely still. "No, no, no!" she cried. "Not now, not when I have to find Derek!" She pushed some of her soaked hair from her face and tried turning the key in the ignition multiple times. She thanked God she was wearing contacts because if she hadn't been, she wouldn't have been able to see. God damn, why did her car have to stop and have the top broken on a rainy, stormy night. When it became apparent that the car was not going to start, she banged her fists against the steering wheel. And she was on the road to Derek's house, so she was on a treelined road, no sidewalks or any form of path.

"Dammit!" she shouted to the night.

All at once tears started to streak down her frozen cheeks. They were mixing together with the rain, but she knew they were there. She leaned her forehead against the steering wheel and a sob escaped her throat.

This was officially the worst birthday she could have imagined. Stranded in the middle of a rainstorm with a broken car top and her best friend was wounded by her words?

Yeah, this birthday took the cake for terrible days.

XXXXX

After he had gotten home after parting ways with Reid and Rossi from the failed mission to win over Penelope, Derek returned to his home and plopped himself down on his couch. This was the very couch he and Penelope shared their famous movie nights. At the moment, he felt fairly certain that they wouldn't happen again.

She was pissed as hell at him. That much was one hundred percent correct. There was no doubting it.

He sighed deeply and leaned his head back against the cushions, closing his eyes in an attempt to clear his head.

Clooney, however, wasn't too keen on the idea of being ignored. He hopped up on the couch and began licking Derek's face. Opening his eyes, he snorted at his German Shepard. "What's up with you?" he asked. "You gonna be a pain in my ass tonight?" His dog let out a bark and he laughed, scratching him behind the ears. As he was petting Clooney, he began to think aloud. "What am I going to do, Cloon?" he asked. "I love Penelope, but she's mad at me. Mad like you wouldn't believe. What should I do?" He smirked. "Do you know? Got any advice?"

Clooney merely wagged his tail and perked his ears up.

Derek laughed. "You think I should apologize?" He sighed. "Should I maybe just tell her I'm sorry and that I'll move on? I mean, people have to move on eventually if their love isn't reciprocated...don't they? 'Cause you see, boy, I don't think I could ever move on from my Baby Girl. She's - she's the only one for me. Yeah, it sounds cliché, but there's a reason they call them clichés...the idea just happens so often, it becomes normal." He ruffled Clooney's fur. "What am I going to do, boy?" he repeated absentmindedly.

His dog sneezed and wagged his tail once more, his eyes looking at Derek like he was trying to tell him something important. Derek tilted his head to the side and said, "You're trying to tell me something. I can tell." He snapped his fingers. "You think I should go and apologize. _That's _what you're trying to tell me!" Rising from the couch, he rubbed Clooney's ears and nodded. "That's what I'll do!"

And then he set off for the door, grabbing his car keys and entering the raging storm outside.

XXXXX

Penelope was shivering viciously. She knew she should get up and start walking back home, but she couldn't find it in her heart to move. She just kept her head against the steering wheel and wept. Her birthday was just terrible. She couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. It was ridiculous to do that; she was the one to blame here, no one else. She had treated the man she loved like dirt, she humiliated a man who was wonderful and kind - even if she wasn't in love with him, Michael was still a girl's dream man - and she was now stuck in the rain because she was stupid enough to go out without her car top working properly.

"I'm so stupid!" she cried.

As she was bemoaning her ridiculous decisions, she noticed a pair of bright headlights coming towards her on the road. She looked up and squinted, trying to see who it was. But the light made it difficult to make out who was there or what type of car was there.

_What the hellI?_ she thought. She squinted to try and see who was in the car that had stopped. Screw it. She didn't care who it was, she just wanted whoever it was to help her get the fuck out of there.

XXXXX

As Derek was driving along, the sight of a bright orange Cadillac could be seen on the side of the road. His eyebrows rose and immediately he became concerned. There was only one person in the world he knew with a car like that. This was no doubt Penelope's car. But what really surprised him and shocked him was that the top was down. That to be the dumbest thing he'd seen. A storm was raging and she had her top down? Something was very off here.

Pulling up next to Esther, he glanced in and found his girl, staring up at him with a devastated look on her face. She couldn't tell that it was him, but the moment he stepped out of the car, she sat up straighter. Her makeup was running and her eyes were red and swollen.

"Baby Girl?" he called over the pounding rain. He ran to her side and opened the door to the driver's seat. She looked up at him and her perfectly shaped mouth rounded into an "o".

"D - Derek?" she said through chattering teeth. She rose to her feet and stepped out of the car.

She stood before him in the same dress she had worn to her birthday dinner. He put his hands on her shoulders and almost gasped; her skin was frigid to the touch. "Penelope, what the hell are you doing out here?" he yelled, his voice barely audible over the rain.

It was hard to tell if she was crying or if it was just the rain streaming down her face. "I came to find you!" she hollered back. The sky erupted in light with a bolt of lightning and a huge clap of thunder boomed through the air. She brought her hands up to cup his face. Her whole body was shaking from the cold. "I had to come find you and tell you that I...I love you! I should never have slapped you in the middle of that restaurant. Those fortune cookies were so sweet and I know you probably made up the holiday to give them to me, but -"

He cut her off. "It wasn't made up!" he said, putting his arms arms around her waist in an attempt to warm her up. "It's an actual holiday!"

She cocked her eyebrows, but shook her head. "I was coming to tell you that I love you," she yelled over a roll of thunder. "Michael may have proposed, but I told him no. He's not you! You're the only one I want!"

"Baby, I love you too!" he said as the rain poured on around them. Soon, he too was soaking wet. "I should have told you sooner than tonight. Rossi and Reid were helping me and we wanted to -"

To shut him up, she pulled his face down to her lips and kissed him hungrily. He stood in shock for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her and his fingers tangled in her hair. All of the sudden, the cold was disappearing from his body and all he felt was a warm cocoon of desire surrounding both him and Penelope. Even the sound of thunder was slowly fading until the only thing he could hear was the beating of their hearts in complete unison. His tongue stroked against hers and he wanted nothing more than to consume her in all her raspberry and mint taste. She clutched at the fabric of his shirt and moaned low in her throat.

Nibbling on her lower lip, he grinned against her lips as her hands started roaming across his chest and underneath his t-shirt. Her fingers traced the lines of his abdomen and immediately he felt hard. His breathing came in heavier pants and he pulled her against him, trying to show her how much he wanted her. He cupped the back of her neck and angled her mouth so that his tongue could dive in deeper.

When she came up for air, the rain was still pouring down. Gripping her bottom in his hands, he lifted her up into his arms and cradled her against his chest. "Let's get you out of the cold," he said in her ear, carrying her shivering form towards his SUV. She nodded and kept her face against his chest, trying desperately to stay warm. "I love you, Baby Girl."

"I - I l-love you, t-too," she stammered, the cold finally setting in over her limbs and body.

**This one's gonna change to rated M, it's looking like. Stay tuned for the next one and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Getting Warm

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**God, I'm so sorry my posting has been off-track! I started to write for my school's paper, so when I'm not doing homework, I'm writing news. I'm going to work out a pretty decent schedule soon. Hopefully it will become more regular.**

**Here's the final chapter of my entry for September Strangeness. I hope you all enjoy. I decided to go rated M with this chapter. Thank you so, so much for the reviews on this story! I'm so glad you liked it :)**

Derek stopped the car outside his house and went around to the passenger side where Penelope was opening her door. He shook his head. Taking her gently in his arms, he lifted her shivering form and used his hip to shut the door. "You're going to get a cold if we don't get you inside and warm you up soon," he murmured, placing a kiss on her soaked head.

She mumbled something that resembled a "thank you" and tried to sink herself farther into him. He was so warm, she didn't ever want to leave his arms.

Once inside the warmth of his house, Clooney immediately started yapping excitedly. Derek nodded to him and said sharply, "Down, Clooney!" He took Penelope over to his living room couch and laid her down gently, grabbing the afghan that she had knit for him the previous Christmas. He tucked her in under it and moved her hair back. Placing a kiss gently on her forehead, he said, "I want you to stay right here while I go start a hot shower for you. I'll be right back, okay?"

She nodded shakily, but said nothing.

Derek glanced at Clooney and said, "You keep her company, buddy." Then he jogged off towards the upstairs to start the shower. As he entered his bathroom, he started taking off his soaked clothing and put on a pair of sweat pants. He didn't bother putting a shirt on. He was going to join Penelope as soon as he got her in the water. They both needed warmth or they were going to get sick.

Steam began to fill the bathroom and he returned downstairs to fetch Penelope. Even with the thick blanket covering her, she was still shaking violently. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she lay on the couch. Kneeling down at her side, he put his hand on her shoulder and murmured, "Baby Girl..." No response save for the chattering of her teeth. "Penelope?"

Gradually, her eyes drifted open. "Yeah?" she whispered hoarsely. Already her voice sounded like a frog was stuck in her throat, scratchy and choked.

"Let's go upstairs," he said. "I've got the shower running. We're gonna get you warm."

She nodded dumbly. "O - okay," she croaked. "I'm all for it. Le - lead the w - way, god of thunder, my mocha version of Thor, m - my -"

Laughing, he pulled her upwards. "Silly girl," he said. "Let's get you warm."

XXXXX

Penelope was grateful as hell when Derek led her into the the steam-filled bathroom. Already she could feel that she was going to have a vicious head cold for the next few days. But all that she could focus on at that moment was the warmth and humidity of the shower.

As far as she was concerned, it was heaven that awaited her in the luxurious glass stall.

Derek released her momentarily and she swayed unsteadily on her feet before he caught her around the waist again. "Steady there, sweetheart," he said. His fingers began to fiddle with the zipper on the back of her dress and she felt goosebumps, not from the chill, but from awareness, rise on her skin. She knew that Derek was about to undress her, but she could care less about embarrassment or shyness. Warmth was the most important thing she could get right now. And his hands against her bare skin? That would certainly heat her blood a few degrees.

He slid the dress down her body and it pooled around her bare feet so that she was standing in nothing but her lacy panties and strapless bra. His hands moved down her arms and rested on her hips. She closed her eyes, unable to contain the soft purr that escaped her lips. His fingers slowly began to unhook her bra and that too fell to the floor. Pleasure slid up her spine and she couldn't stop herself from shaking with anticipation. Unable to stop herself, she turned around in his arms and looked him directly in the eyes.

There was no doubting the heat in his gaze, the undeniable love and adoration. Her nipples had risen to hard, pointed peaks and his hands unconsciously drifted up to cup her breasts. She grasped his hips tightly and pushed the waistband of his sweatpants down so that he was completely naked before her. His erection was standing at attention and she let her eyes move down briefly to stare at it. He was huge, larger than any man she had ever been with. Michael, who had been big himself, but he was tiny in comparison to her Hot Stuff.

And while she was observing his manhood, he was observing her magnificent breasts, lightly testing their weight.

But instead of doing anything else, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the shower. "Let's get warm," she said huskily. And then she opened the door to the shower and stepped in. He closed the door behind them.

Penelope moved to stand underneath the stream of scalding water. It felt like needles prickling her skin at first, but it was a wonderful prickling. She let the water spread through her hair and she turned to face him, smiling coyly at a bug-eyed Derek. He looked positively aroused. Desire was written all over his face and he moved forward through the water to grasp her by the hips.

"Oh, God, Baby Girl," he groaned, his fingers going up to tweak her nipples. She sighed pleasurably at the shock waves that ran through her body from the tips of her breasts where he was massaging her, all the way down to her core. "Do you have any idea how much I love you? Do you have any idea how beautiful and luscious your body is?"

She wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him deeply.

Slowly, she began to warm up. It spread through her body like a wild fire would, catching onto a piece of parched land and ravaging it with flame. A laugh bubbled out of her against his lips and she pushed him back towards the wall of the shower. He grinned and wrapped his arms around her hips, pulling her against him and keeping her there. His hands moved to her ass and swatted it sharply, making her laugh again.

"I think I'm warming up, Hot Stuff," she murmured huskily. "How 'bout you?"

He pushed his arousal against her thigh and snorted. "What do you think?" he growled, tugging on her earlobe with his teeth.

"I think we're both going to get sick tomorrow," she moaned as he suckled on her pulse point.

He pulled back and cupped her cheek with his palm. "Then let's make the most of tonight," he said, before pulling her back in and kissing her again.

Penelope couldn't resist hissing when he trailed his long index finger up through her wet folds. She was sensitive and swollen to the touch. He tweaked her clit a few times and turned around so he could trap her against the wall. Her breathing increased so it was coming in fast pants. He buried his face against her neck and continued stroking her, eventually dipping his fingers inside her scorching heat. She tossed her head back so the top of her head was resting against the steam-covered shower wall. She was feeling the most intense pleasure in her life.

Nothing had ever felt this good.

It was as if she were experiencing for the first time the richest chocolate she could imagine, but the chocolate was her best friend, someone she'd known for years and trusted with her life. He wasn't new to her, but what he was doing to her...it was entirely unknown territory.

"Oh, God!" she cried as his finger reached a particularly deep spot. "Right there, right there!"

He began thrusting his finger over and over until she began to shake with the beginning of a wonderful, skin-tingling orgasm. A scream escaped her mouth and she fell limply against the wall, the only thing holding her up was Derek's strong grasp. She held onto his shoulders and looked at him, a loopy smile on her face. "Wow," she sighed. "You are amazing, Baby Boy." She smiled coyly and grasped his erection, running her hand up and down the long length of it. His eyes closed, an almost pained expression covering his face. When he opened his eyes again, his dark onyx eyes stared at her intently and she smiled coyly. "Got anything else you want to do to me?"

"Oh, Baby Girl," he growled. "You would not _believe_ the things I want to do to you. But to start..." His voice trailed off and he lifted her into his arms, letting her sink down onto his erection with one fell swoop.

A gasp escaped her throat as she adjusted to the sheer size of him. But after a mere two seconds, she felt so wonderfully filled that she couldn't help but moan loudly. He moved forward so her back was resting against the wall and began thrusting slowly.

"Faster," she gasped with sheer pleasure. "You have to go faster!"

He laughed and said, "Whatever you want, Baby." And then his thrusts sped up. He pumped in and out of her, her moans getting progressively louder with each movement. "God, you're so tight!"

She kept her arms around him his neck, her nails scratching down his shoulder blades. "Don't stop! Don't you fucking stop!"

"My Baby Girl likes to talk dirty," he teased. A loud groan escaped his lips. "Oh, God Penelope, I'm about to come!" A hint of panic entered his voice and he added, "Baby, are you on the pill?"

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, "What?"

"If you're not on the pill, I'm going to have to pull out," he said, groaning again. "I didn't put a condom on!"

She shook her head. "I'm protected," she moaned. "Just come!"

He didn't need to be asked twice. With a loud growl, he kissed her deeply, his release pulsing inside her. At the same time, his thumb slipped between their bodies and pressed hard on her swollen clit. She could help it; she came along with him, a huge, ear-splitting shriek filling the bathroom.

Still wrapped around him, she kissed his neck gently. "That...was...incredible..." she panted.

He smiled. "You were just as wonderful," he murmured, bestowing a peck on her lips.

Penelope had never felt more content or at peace with herself. The after effects of their passionate love-making were settling over her like a heated blanket. It was just moments after the most earth shattering, pleasurable moment of her life, and she was filled with so much joy that she felt she might burst with happiness. She sighed and traced patterns over the back of his neck. "I love you," she whispered, loud enough so that he would hear her over the still running water. "I always have."

He rested his forehead against her's and said, "I love you, too." He paused before adding, "Happy Fortune Cookie Day, Penelope."

She giggled. "Right back atcha."

**Hope you liked it! This one is all finished. I'm going to fully focus on "Losing Everything" and "The Violator" before anything else. Actually, I'll be releasing a song fiction one-shot and CeeCee333 and I will be doing a story together that the plot will be released for later :) Our account is morganxgarciaxxx, so keep an eye open!**


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